Buckle



(No ModeL), J A TRAUT.

BUCKLE.

Patented Aug. 23, 1892.

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UNITE STATES ATENT JUSTUS A. TRAUT, OF NEWV BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 481,213, dated August 23, 1892.

Application filed May 3, 1892. Serial No. 431,680- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JUSTUS A. TRAUT, of New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved buckle particularly adapted for application to suspenders or for holding webbing of the same character, as suspenderstraps.

The objects of the invention are to cheapen the cost and to form strong buckles without projections at the ends of the locking-lever or elsewhere, which are liable to catch in or injure the wearers clothing, a further object being to prevent the twisting or lateral displacement of the buckle on the webbing.

Vith these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be now described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the buckle with the lockinglever down. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the locking-lever thrown up. Figs. 3 and i are sections through the buckle on lines w m and g y, Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is an elevation looking at the lower edge. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are top plan views showing details of construction. Figs. 8 and 9 are side and front elevations of the form of buckle shown in Fig. 7.

Like letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

The main portion of the buckle-frame is of wire, formed or bent up into proper shape that is to say, with side bars A, to which the sheet-metal cross-piece B is attached, and an elevated cross-bar C, constituting the pivots for locking-lever D. This cross-bar, which I shall hereinafter term the pivot-bar C, is bent up over the sheet-metal cross-piece at the proper point for the toothed portion at of the lever to bear against or rest in proximity to the upper surface of the sheet-metal crosspiece when in locked position. Locking-lever D itself is formed of sheet metal, appropriately ornamental, if desired, with the toothed portion cl projecting at an angle, and small ears e at each side adapted to embrace the pivot-bar C, the latter being held closely in the angle formed by the top and toothed portions of the lever, as shown clearly in the drawings. Below the sheet-metal cross-piece the wire frame is extended, the ends passing across the buckle and forming a wire cross-bar f, to which the suspender-end or co-operating member may be attached.

In the preferred form of buckle shown in Figsl to 5 and Fig. 6 lateral extensions are formed on the wire frame below the sheetmetal cross-piece and are made to perform the function of preventing twisting or lateral displacement of the buckle, for which purpose they are curved up and over, forming ears G, which embrace the edges of the web and keep the buckle in proper alignment under all conditions of use. It will be understood, however, that the overhanging ears Cr, embracing the edges of the web, are not essential, for if reference be had to Figs. 3, 4c, and 9 it will be seen that the upper surface of the sheet-metal cross-piece is in line with the lower surfaces of the side bars. The ends of the cross-piece are bent. up around the side bars and with said bars form ribs on each side of the buckle, between which the web passes and by which the buckle is held in proper position on the webbing. There strength is an important factor of construction, the said ears are preferably omitted and the ends of the frame are simply bent back slightly, then across to form the cross-bar, as shown in Figs. 5, 7, 8, and 9, and united or coupled together.

The union or coupling may be formed by a simple sheet-metal sleeve or tube H, surrounding the ends, in which instance the web or end to be united permanently to the buckle is passed around the cross-bar, and the bar should be depressed sufiiciently to prevent interference with the co-operating web passing over the sheet-metal cross-piece and beneath the locking-lever; but in the preferred construction the sleeve uniting the ends is in the form of a clasp to engage the end of the web.

The clasp may be of the simplest construction, consisting of a tooth-edged plate I, ad aptedv to be bent around the cross-bar and to embrace the end of the web, with the teeth embedded therein, as shown clearly in Fig. 3. To more securely hold the clasp and web and to prevent fraying out of the edges of the web at the corners, ears 2' are formed on one side of the clasp, which embrace the edge of the web beneath the cross-bar and are bent down on the operating part of the clasp. The cross-bar, it will be noted, is in every instance depressed and the pivotal piece elevated to leave aclear straight passage for the co-operating web; but where the clasp is employed the depression is of course much less than where the web is wrapped around the cross-bar.

A buckle constructed in accordance with this invention, it will be seen, presents many advantages. N o projectionssuch as ears or pivots-are left to catch or injure the clothes of the wearer, and the simple form of frame with a solid pivot-bar extending from side to side of the buckle and with the ends firmly held both by the sheet-metal cross-piece and coupling makes a buckle which is not only strong, but which may be cheaply and easily constructed.

The combined coupling and clasp does away with the necessity of doubling the web at any point, thus an extremely flat buckle may be made, contributing much to the comfort of the wearer.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In a buckle such as described, the combination, with the sheet-metal-cross-piece and locking-lever, of the wire frame bent to form the side bars on which the sheet-metal crosspiece is clamped, the portion of said frame above the cross-piece being elevated and having the lever pivoted thereon and the portion below the cross-piece being depressed below the plane of the cross-piece, forming a cross-bar for the attachment of the web, whereby a clear straight passage is left for the co-operating web beneath the locking-lever and over the cross-piece and cross-bar, substantially as described.

2. In a buckle such as described, the combination, with the locking-lever and crosspiece, of the wire frame having the side bars to which the crosspiece is clamped, said frame below said cross-piece formed with bent-over loops to form ears for embracing the edges of the web, substantially as described.

3. In a buckle, the combination, with the wire frame bent to form the bottom cross-piece for the attachment of the Suspender-end, the laterally-extending ears bent up over to embrace the edges of the web, the side bars, and the elevated pivoted bar extending across the buckle, of the sheet-metal cross-piece clamped on the side bars and the locking-leverhaving ears at each side embracing the pivot-bar, substantially as described.

4. In a buckle, the combination, with the wire frame having its ends turned inwardly at the bottom to form across-bar, the locking-lever, and cross-piece, of the sheet-metal coupling bent around the ends of the frame forming the cross-bar to unite the same and having the extended ends with teeth i thereon, and the web passing between and clamped by the ends of the coupling, whereby the buckle is secured to the web without having the web passed around the cross-bar, substantially as described.

JUSTUS A. TRAUT.

\Vitnesses:

W. J. WORAN, M. G. PORTER. 

